Methods for cooling water temperature using high albedo materials

ABSTRACT

A method for cooling the temperature of a body of water having a top surface exposed to sunlight comprises distributing balls such that they lie on, and in direct contact with, at least part of the top surface, the at least part of the top surface characterized prior to the distribution by a pre-distribution surface area; The balls have diameters within a range of 100 microns to 3 mm, and albedos within a range of 0.15 to 1.0. The surfaces of the balls are hydrophilic, such that after the distribution a total wetted surface area greater than the pre-distribution surface area of the water is provided, facilitating the cooling. In one embodiment, the body of water is a natural or unnatural lake or bay.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/499,590, filed on Apr. 27, 2017, which is a division of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/709,288, filed on May 11, 2015, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/680,975 titled“SYSTEMS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION WITH CLIMATE CONTROL MATERIALSAND COVERINGS”, filed on Jul. 12, 2010, which is a national stageapplication of PCT/US08/11689 (WO 2009/048627) filed Oct. 9, 2008, whichclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/998,404, filedOct. 9, 2007, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/044,463, filedApr. 11, 2008, all of which applications are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety, as if set forth in full in this applicationfor all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to systems, materials, and methods ofenvironmental modification with climate control materials and coverings.The invention may include materials which may cause a localized changein albedo and evaporation rate. In addition, the invention may bereversible and may include different materials, designs, deployments,and sensing apparatus and techniques.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The international scientific community has reached consensus thatongoing climate change has raised the earth's global averagetemperature, has had an effect on the earth's ecosystems, and thatlarger impacts are likely in the future (IPCC AR4 2007). Current andfuture effects may include an increase in sea level, a reduction in thepercentage of the earth's surface covered by the polar ice caps, changesin rainfall distribution and increases in the severity of storms. Thesechanges may in future lead to effects on the oceanic currents andfurther changes in weather patterns, that could in turn lead to effectsas diverse and profound as changes in the distribution of habitable landareas for various species, as well as in the distribution of areassuited to agriculture, and changes in locations of usable coastal portsand shipping routes. A positive feedback loop known as the Ice-AlbedoFeedback Effect is involved in the reduction of icecap area, whereby themore the ice melts, the faster the remaining ice melts. This occursbecause for a given area, the open ocean absorbs more solar energy (hasa lower albedo) than does ice.

Weather patterns may be shifting as a result of climate change. Suchchanges may include changes in droughts, tropical storm strength andintensity, ocean currents, and wildfires.

Various solutions and geoengineering approaches to mitigate to someclimate change effects have been proposed. The most commonly proposedlong-term solution is to slow down the effects of global warming byaddressing one apparent cause of global warming via a reduction in thegeneration of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide(CO₂). The international scientific community agrees that theconcentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere has increased as a result ofhuman activity and that this has caused an increase of the earth'sglobal average temperature over the past several decades (IPCC AR42007).

Many proposals for reduction of the generation of greenhouse gasesinclude proposals to reduce the rate of CO₂ generation. For example, CO₂generation may be slowed down by providing for energy and transportationneeds through the use of alternative power generation such as solar,wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power, and the use of alternativetransportation fuels, such as electricity and various forms ofbio-derived liquid fuels. These proposals and others like them arelikely an important part of the long-term solution to reducing aman-made increase in CO₂, but they could take decades to implementwidely, and there are substantial technological, sociological, politicaland economic hurdles to be overcome before widespread adoption is likelyto occur.

Another type of proposed solution is aimed at conducting geoengineeringdirected toward mitigating some of the effects of global warming. Oneexample of such a proposal is the addition of specific gases to theatmosphere to produce an “anti-greenhouse” effect. Somesulfur-containing industrial pollutants have been shown to have anegative greenhouse effect, leading this idea's proponents to advocate adeliberate increase in these pollutants.

Another proposal to reduce the effects of global warming is to useorbiting solar reflectors. For example, it is proposed that trillions ofmirrors be sent up into earth orbit to reflect some percentage ofincoming sunshine.

Some parties have suggested carbon sequestration to reduce globalwarming. Various plans include burying carbon compounds in the ground,and seeding the oceans with iron to increase phytoplankton colonies,with the hope that as the plankton die, the carbon they've incorporatedwill sink to the ocean bottom.

In another proposal, floating plastic islands may be used to limitglobal warming. The idea includes covering part of the ocean with amaterial that has reduced absorption of solar energy and has a higheralbedo.

Some difficulties with the methods listed above include their cost,irreversibility (for instance, if the solution overcorrects), themassive public works nature of the solutions, unintended weaponspotential, and possible severe secondary problems (such as acid rain orhealth effects from added atmospheric sulfur compounds). Some negativeeffects of these proposals may include uncontrolled change in oceanicevaporation rate and change to the local ecosystem, ecological effects(such as a change in the plankton species selection), and unintendedreverses of the solutions (such as sudden release of CO₂ fromsequestration schemes). It is thought this could occur if thetemperature of the earth (and/or ocean) increases sufficiently over timeto cause a release of sequestered CO₂.

There is a need for improved systems and methods of environmentalmodification that may be applied locally and that may be fullyreversible or may be used to correct environmental effects in theopposite direction until the desired stabilization is achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides systems and methods of environmentalmodification with climate control materials and coverings by causing alocal adjustment of two parameters that may affect the local climate.The invention may affect (1) the absorption and/or reflection ofincident solar energy (albedo), and (2) the rate and amount ofevaporation of water. The invention may also contain buoyancy or addedfloating features, which may aid in the invention's effectiveness. Theinvention may also be designed to minimize ecological harm. It may alsoenhance ice nucleation, provide habitat and breeding ground, andintentionally provide open pore-like areas to enhance cooling byevaporative heat transfer.

The invention may include materials capable of having the desired albedoand desired characteristics to affect evaporation. These materials mayhave varying properties, such as optical properties, wettability,porosity, buoyancy, thermal conductivity, imperviousness, strength,breakability characteristics, and may include or be made from recycledor biodegradable materials.

Climate control materials and coverings may have different designs fordifferent applications. These designs may encompass the basic componentof the invention, which may include forms such as balls, plates, sheets,or fluids. The components may be brought together into a unit, such as abuilding block, which may be formed out of corrals, submerged andabove-water netting, or various interconnecting mechanisms. The buildingblocks may be deployed into clusters which may be arranged in differentways to produce the desired effect.

There may be various methods of manufacturing or assembling the climatecontrol materials. These methods may provide efficient or cost-savingmeans of producing the climate control materials.

The climate control materials and coverings may be deployed in differentlocations and environments for various applications, and may be deployedby different means in accordance with another aspect of the invention.The climate control materials may also be reversible. A party may beable to remove the materials, may deploy additional materials withreversing effects, or the materials themselves may eventuallyself-remove or self-reverse. For example, materials may containproperties that may allow them to self-remove or self-reverse bybreaking down or sinking, or from changes in their characteristics fromeventual biofouling from the surrounding environment.

Other goals and advantages of the invention will be further appreciatedand understood when considered in conjunction with the followingdescription and accompanying drawings. While the following descriptionmay contain specific details describing particular embodiments of theinvention, this should not be construed as limitations to the scope ofthe invention but rather as an exemplification of preferableembodiments. For each aspect of the invention, many variations arepossible as suggested herein that are known to those of ordinary skillin the art. A variety of changes and modifications can be made withinthe scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in thisspecification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent asif each individual publication, patent, or patent application wasspecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. A better understanding of the features andadvantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to thefollowing detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments,in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention with a floatingmaterial that may affect albedo and evaporation rate of surrounding andunderlying water.

FIG. 2A shows how a material may reduce a local evaporation rate.

FIG. 2B shows how a wettable material may increase evaporation from asituation as compared to a non-wettable material.

FIG. 2C shows how a material with pores may increase evaporation from asituation as compared to a non-porous material.

FIG. 2D shows how a material may allow separate tailoring of surfacewetting, porosity, reflection and/or albedo, and heat transfer ascompared to an open surface.

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the invention with a dual-tapered porestructure.

FIG. 4 shows alternate dual pore structures.

FIG. 5 shows a centrally supported hexagonal structure with engineeredporosity.

FIG. 6 shows a sheet-like structure with openings.

FIG. 7A illustrates how buoyancy features and/or supports may be addedat the ends of a sheet-like structure to vary suspension height.

FIG. 7B illustrates how buoyancy features may be added at the ends of asheet-like structure with varying degrees of sag.

FIG. 7C illustrates how buoyancy features may be distributed within asheet-like structure to distribute suspension of the fabric and providemultiple layers for albedo modification and evaporative surfaces.

FIG. 7D illustrates how air entrained within natural or syntheticmaterials in a sheet-like structure may be used for distributedsuspension.

FIG. 7E illustrates how a surface coating of at least one materialwithin a sheet-like structure may be used to aid in distributedsuspension and/or evaporative transfer.

FIG. 8 shows how openings of different sizes of a material may be proneto freezing.

FIG. 9A shows a sheet style implementation in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9B shows an alternate embodiment of a sheet style implementation.

FIG. 10 illustrates a unit including a corral and enclosed climatecontrol materials.

FIG. 11 shows a corral with submerged and above-water netting.

FIG. 12 shows a unit including a corral and accompanying climate controlmaterials.

FIG. 13A illustrates a rectangular plate unit with hinges in its foldedstate.

FIG. 13B illustrates a rectangular plate unit with hinges in itsunfolded state.

FIG. 14A shows an example of hexagonal plates interconnecting to form abuilding block.

FIG. 14B shows an example of triangular plates interconnecting to form abuilding block.

FIG. 14C shows an example of plates of different shapes interconnectingto form a building block with open spaces.

FIG. 15 shows an example of a building cluster for floatable climatecontrol materials.

FIG. 16A shows a tightly-interconnected corral structure.

FIG. 16B shows a loosely-interconnected corral structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatsuch embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerousvariations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the invention. It should be understoodthat various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention describedherein may be employed in practicing the invention.

This invention provides systems and methods of environmentalmodification with climate control materials and coverings by causing alocal adjustment of two parameters that may affect the local climate.The invention may affect (1) the absorption and/or reflection ofincident solar energy (albedo), and (2) the rate and amount ofevaporation of water. Added buoyancy or floating features of theinvention may aid in the invention's effectiveness. The invention mayalso be designed to minimize ecological harm. As an example of potentialecological harm, materials such as plastic used over wide areas, such asin the floating plastic island proposal of the prior art or theunintentional pollution of the Pacific Gyre with plastic waste, canresult in the plastic breaking down over time into smaller pieces andenter the food chain directly, and such materials can also carry otherpollutants into the food chain on due to a plastic surface's generalaffinity for hydrocarbon- and oil-based pollutants. The invention mayalso enhance ice nucleation, provide habitat and breeding ground, andintentionally provide open pore-like areas to enhance cooling byevaporative heat transfer and by providing an increased effectivesurface area over which evaporation and/or heat transfer can occur.

The albedo of areas may be adjusted in order to slow down the meltingrate, enhance retention, and/or increase the formation of ice and/orsnow. The albedo of areas may also be adjusted to provide generalcooling effects, even in areas and seasons where ice is not formed. Thismay include adjusting the albedo to increase the reflection of sunlight.For example, this may involve increasing the albedo of an area above thealbedo of open seawater, to at least 0.15. This may also includeincreasing the albedo further to a level greater than the global averageof the earth, or to at least 0.35. Some embodiments may includeincreasing the albedo to above 0.5, or further to be above 0.7.

In other applications of environmental modification, the albedo may bedecreased. Decreasing albedo may reduce the reflection of sunlight. Forexample, this may be beneficial in applications where increasedevaporation rates may be desirable or in order to cause warming.

The ability to control evaporation may be important because blocking orsuppressing evaporation by the presence of a material (such as in thefloating plastic island proposal of the prior art) could unintentionallycause the temperature of the underlying ocean water to be higher than ifevaporation were allowed to occur. The thermodynamic latent heat ofvaporization of water is significant, and as the water is vaporized, theliquid water that remains behind may be cooled by providing at leastpart of the energy of vaporization to the vaporized water. Additionally,if evaporation were to be blocked over large areas of ocean, anunintended climate and weather change could undesirably occur, andrainfall patterns could be altered from these unintended potentiallylarge effects on the earth's water cycle. However, in some otherapplications of environmental modification besides reducing some of theeffects of global warming, the evaporation rate may intentionally bereduced locally and reversibly. One application where evaporation ratemay be reduced may be to reduce the severity of tropical storms.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention, which mayincorporate a floating material 12 that may reflect sunlight and enhancewater evaporation, which may allow the temperature to drop sufficientlyin the exposed water to allow freezing and initial formation of ice 14.The invention may help substantially in ice retention and formation,even if deployed at a time of year when ice formation may not beexpected to occur, by enhancing ice retention (slowing the melt) orreducing the heating over the summer, as well as being used at the onsetof the hoped-for freezing season.

Sunlight may hit a climate control material and the surrounding water,snow, ice, permafrost, land, or man-made structures. In some embodimentsof the invention, the surrounding water may include ocean water, seawater, lakes, rivers, bays, or any other natural or unnatural body ofwater, or may include any water of any form, such as dew or groundwater, and so forth. Also within the scope of the invention is use ofthe climate control material on or in conjunction with underlying orsurrounding glaciers, ice, snow, land areas or man-made structures.

The reflective properties of the climate control material may cause someof the sunlight to reflect away from the water surface, while part ofthe sunlight may be absorbed, and the energy transmitted to the surfacebelow. The energy from the sunlight hitting the water directly may alsobe absorbed into the water. Part of the energy in the water, includingthe water on top of, or absorbed or adsorbed on the surfaces or in thepores or openings of the climate control material, may result inevaporation of underlying and surrounding water, or of rainfall. Also,as water may slosh on top of climate control materials, the materialsmay provide a place of possible enhanced evaporation or freezing. Watermay saturate some of the materials in accordance with some embodimentsof the invention, and may cause different rates of evaporation.Evaporation may lead to increased cloud cover, which may affect theclimate locally and globally. For instance, cloud cover may reduce theamount of sunlight that may warm the underlying area.

Several systems that may adjust the local albedo and evaporation ratemay be encompassed in this invention, and may be used separately ortogether. Specific embodiments are not meant to limit the scope of theinvention, but rather to illustrate some particularly useful embodimentsof the current invention.

A. Materials

Systems of environmental modification with climate control materials andcoverings may include different properties of the materials themselves.For example, the optical properties, wettability, porosity, buoyancy,thermal conductivity, imperviousness, strength/breaking, source ofmaterials, and biodegradability may be varied for differentenvironmental modifications.

1. Optical Properties

In order to change environmental conditions, an embodiment of theinvention may affect the absorption and/or reflection of incident solarenergy (albedo). A system may provide materials which may cover asurface, whether the material be floating, partially submerged, orsuspended, or spread out on land, ice, snow, or man-made structures thatmay affect the albedo by their presence. The materials can be painted,dyed, coated with a reflective material, or by other means treated so asto adjust their albedo or if desired, to maintain the stability ofalbedo over time, or the materials can be untreated. Generally, thesurface material, the surface finish, color, translucency, orreflectivity can be chosen to aid in the engineered albedo andreflectivity required, whether the material be selected for its surfaceproperties or treated.

For applications where one may try to cool the local climate, theinvention may comprise covering a portion of an area, such as an area ofocean or a darkened or melting glacier, with a material that may reflectat least part of the incident sunlight (in other words, a material withhigh albedo). For example, cooling an area may include covering the areawith a material with a lighter color or with higher reflectiveproperties. By using a material of higher albedo, solar absorption maybe reduced, and re-radiation of energy may be altered in a desiredmanner.

Albedo of a system may also affect the evaporation rate of waterassociated with the adjusted areas and the areas surrounding them, andmay also affect the relative humidity of the adjusted areas and theareas surrounding them. For example, a higher albedo may decrease solarabsorption, which may reduce evaporation.

Some examples of materials that may be used as coverings and changelocal albedo may include, separately or in combination: (1) glass orplastic objects, or other objects of varying compositions, hollow ornot, of a spherical or other shape, including but not limited to hollowglass spheres, glass spheres, cenospheres, ceramic spheres, plasticspheres; (2) natural or synthetic fabrics or plastic sheets withcontrolled porosity, wettability and buoyancy, entrained air or gases,or separately buoyant or suspended features; (3) oil or other coatings,including crude oil, vegetable oil, or mineral oil; (4) plastic bottles,scrap plastic or plastic sheets; and (5) biological materials, such ashay, daisies, or feathers, which may have a possible coating, such as aspray plastic coating, to enhance the lifetime of the material in water,maintaining its buoyancy and albedo. These materials may or may not betreated as necessary to control their albedo.

One embodiment of the invention may provide climate control materialswith one or more material interfaces that may affect the albedo of thematerial. For example, a material such as a hollow transparent ball mayhave some sort of gas (such as air) inside. Transparent or translucentmaterials with bubbles inside may provide additional gas/solidinterfaces. Similarly, opaque or reflective materials may have bubblesinside as well. There may also be liquid inside a material. Multiplereflections from various interfaces may affect the reflectivity andalbedo of the material.

In addition to adjusting albedo, the optical properties of climatecontrol materials may also be chosen or treated in order to provide easeof detection from satellites or other remote sensing devices. Adjustingoptical properties such as surface, color, translucency, or reflectivitymay aid in sensing applications, which may provide information andenable tracking and control of the materials if necessary. Adjustingoptical properties of materials may not only apply to optical sensingdevices, but may have effects which can be read by other devices. Forexample, climate control materials with certain optical properties mayalso have a unique heat signature which may be read by a thermal sensingdevice.

2. Wettability/Hydrophilicity

In order to change environmental conditions, an embodiment of theinvention may affect a local evaporation rate, which may be importantbecause evaporation may affect the temperature of the surface, or of theunderlying or neighboring surface or body of water, ice, or snow. Forinstance, FIG. 2A shows how the presence of a material 22A may block orsuppress evaporation from an underlying surface 26. Such blocking orsuppressing evaporation may cause the temperature of the underlyingsurface to be higher than if evaporation were allowed to occur.

The invention may provide variations in implementation that may affectthe evaporation rate of associated fluids, which may include the use ofhydrophobic or hydrophilic materials and details of coverage andeffective pores to decrease or increase evaporation rates of theunderlying surface, such as ocean water if the climate control materialsand coverings are partially suspended or floating. An implementationthat favors at least some evaporation may lead to cooler watertemperatures (from the significant latent heat of vaporization of water)and therefore to cooling and, over time, more favorable conditions forice and snow formation and retention. Additionally, if an increase incloud cover results from the added evaporation, this could aid incooling and potentially in added snowfall. Adjusting local evaporationrates may initiate complex effects of water and cloud cover on albedo,warming, or cooling. Variations of evaporation rates may be includedwithin the invention for different applications.

In order to affect the local evaporation rate, the material can bewettable and/or distributed with an open area of water associated withit. FIG. 2B shows a wettable material 22B which may allow forevaporation of underlying, accompanying or associated film of water. Thematerial may have water on its surface 21 which may evaporate readily.Increased wettability of a material may increase a surface area whereevaporation may occur. The materials' wettability(hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity) may be adjusted in order to achieve thedesired evaporation rate of water. One implementation may be for amaterial to have a wettable surface, or to coat it with a thin layer ofmaterial that may make it wettable, which may increase the evaporationof the underlying or associated water and prove to be advantageous incooling applications, taking advantage of increased surface areaavailable for evaporation that can result, for example, from increasedporosity, roughness, or shaping of the surface. However, it may bepreferable for some other applications and variants to have anon-wettable/hydrophobic surface.

In some instances, some precautions or treatments of climate controlmaterials to maintain the degree of wettability or contact angle againstbiofouling and biodegradation may assist with long-term performance. Forexample, this may include a treatment such as a periodic cleaning of thematerials. In another example, this may include coating the materialswith a coating that may be resistant to the effects of biofouling, suchas TiO₂.

3. Porosity/Roughness

The evaporation rate of water associated with an adjusted area orsurrounding area may also be affected by details of coverage andeffective pores or openings in a material to decrease or increaseevaporation rates of water such as ocean water. Pores in a material mayvary in size, shape, structure, or wettability to affect the evaporationrate of surrounding and associated water. Materials may have pores orvarious surface designs that may provide differing surface areas whichmay affect the evaporation rate of local water. Heat transfer throughfluids in pores or pore-like structures may affect evaporation. FIG. 2Cshows a material 22C with pores 23, which may enhance evaporationthrough an increase of the effective surface area of water which canevaporate.

Materials may be selected for their material properties which mayinclude a natural porosity or increased surface area for evaporation.For example, materials such as hay, straw, wood, sawdust, paper, orfabric may be naturally porous materials, and may be naturally buoyantas well. The pores and openings may also have multiple dimensions anddirectionalities, as would be found especially in uses of mixtures ofmaterials and types of materials, and if natural fibers or materials areincluded.

The pore structure and wettability can be tailored to enable a designeddegree of evaporation to occur, to allow a designed-in degree ofcooling. The interaction of the material with the water may also act tolocally increase the temperature of a film of water in the pores on thesurface and may concentrate the energy at the surface, and can affectthe heat transfer for and from evaporation, as illustrated in FIG. 2D,which also shows how a material 22D may allow separate tailoring ofsurface wetting, porosity, reflection and/or albedo, and heat transferas compared to an open surface. Limited heat transfer through materialand pores (as opposed to though water alone) could lead to greatertemperature, and greater evaporation, in a top layer of water.

The pores can be engineered to be of a size to enhance evaporativecooling and maintain trapped air while discouraging excessiveflow-through of water to the top surface of the material, device and/orsystem, to avoid sinking it. Additionally, external engineered floats,suspensions and/or buoyant features can be added to suspend the materialat the proper position to be effective.

The designed diameter and shape of the pores can be made to encourageair to be trapped in an interior layer, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and toroute any excess air to the top of the device. The device may beproduced by methods to have surfaces be either wettable or nonwettablewhere desired (such as being wettable on the underside of the device andin the funnel-shaped pores 33A, 33B shown). The pores can be tapered,slanted or staggered as shown, so as not to let sunlight directlythrough into the water below, or they can be straight-through which maylet more energy through to the ocean or underlying area but provide aless-complicated structure. In some situations, it may be desirable tolet some degree of sunlight through to the ocean water, to support thelocal oceanic and under-ice ecosystem. The structure may have a doublelayer of pores with an embedded air pocket 35, or may have a singlelayer of pores without said air pocket included. The structure may havewettable walls.

FIG. 3 shows a side view illustration of a dual-taper pore structure33A, 33B with an entrained air feature 35 that may assist in maintainingbuoyancy. In a double-layer design with tapered pores, a wider channelmay result in smaller difference between the pressure in the gas and theliquid, while a narrower channel may result in a higher pressuredifference between the gas and liquid. The differential in pressureacross the air/liquid interface may be higher, the narrower the pores,or the higher the curvature of the interface.

FIG. 4 illustrates a dual pore structure. The pores may be staggered forsunlight blockage from the ocean, or may be straight for ease inmanufacturing of the part. The pores may be packed in a number ofdifferent arrangements. For example, the pores may be hexagonally closepacked to allow the greatest pore density, which may increaseevaporation. The walls of the pores may be wettable, and/or may have alow contact angle, and the area over which air/liquid interfaces, andtherefore evaporation, can occur inside the pores may be greater thanthat for an equivalent flat area, arising at least in part from thecurvature of the air/liquid interface and/or the wettability of theinterior pore surface area.

In alternate embodiments of the invention, there may be any number oflayers of pores that may be staggered, straight, or a combinationthereof, or that interconnect in a possible variety of tortuous,non-orthogonal manners.

For a pore design using entrapped air, pore diameters in the range ofsub-100 microns, or even 15-microns or less, can be advantageous in thisinvention. The smaller the pore diameter, the higher the pressure thatcan be held in the pore and the greater will be the control over theentrained air.

In an alternative design, air bubbles can be sealed into the device,much as air is sealed into bubble wrap. In addition to affecting thelocal evaporation rate, porosity can also affect the buoyancy of amaterial, as discussed below.

4. Floating/Buoyancy

In an embodiment of the invention where the climate control materialsmay be floating in or on a liquid, one may want to control the buoyancyof the covering depending on the application. For some applications, itmay be preferable for materials to be floating high in the water,whereas in other applications, it may be more preferable for materialsto be floating lower down. The height of a material's floating mayresult in interactions with optical and evaporative characteristics.

One way to control floating may be through porosity. For example, theclimate control covering may include a material, such as a plastic sheetor plate, with a defined porosity. Buoyancy can also be built into thematerial by using of lightweight materials, such as certain lightweightplastics. Buoyancy may also occur by incorporation air captured withinmaterials, such as through hollow glass spheres in the plasticformulation or within fabrics, or by deliberately entrained air in theplastic sheets, or with separate buoyancy-related features as part ofthe system infrastructure.

Alternatively, or additionally, the invention can provide a buoyantsupport for the materials, such as a support for a plate structure. Oneexample of a support mechanism and plate structure is a central supportwith a hexagonal-like plate structure anchored to it in sections.Buoyancy or suspension may be provided by the materials themselves or bythe support structure for the materials.

One application for a buoyant climate control material may be to providea pullout (temporary resting place for wildlife during migration) andfor wildlife habitat. A support structure or deliberately included aircan be engineered to provide sufficient buoyancy or support to act as apullout, which may enable species such as polar bears, walruses, or anyother species to rest, breed, or move on the pullouts. Having suchpullouts may enhance the survival of a species which may be currentlysuffering under conditions of reduced ice, much as nest boxes may becurrently used for threatened avian species. The additional area createdby the pullouts can help with breeding cycles. For example, for a largeenough plate area to provide enough buoyancy for a polar bear pullout,the plate may preferably have a thickness of at least 10 cm, and apercentage of entrained air of well over 50%.

Other applications may exist where a lower buoyancy for a climatecontrol material may be preferable. For example, it may be preferablefor materials to decrease in buoyancy as time goes on so the materialsmay eventually take on enough water to sink after a period of time. Thismay be one method of reversing the process and removing materials fromthe surface of a body of water.

5. Imperviousness

In one embodiment of the invention, the climate control materials andcovering may be treated in order to prevent or reduce their ability toabsorb, transport or concentrate industrial pollutants already presentin the ocean. Such treatment could consist of enhancing wettability, toreject hydrocarbon-like (or non-polar) pollutants, increasing strength,reducing biodegradation, or of tailoring the surface porosity orroughness to minimize affinity and capacity for pollutants of thegreatest concern.

In another embodiment, the material may be designed to be impervious toenvironmental conditions to preserve the desired qualities of thematerial. For example, if the color of the material is a desired qualityfor controlling albedo, the material may be such that it is resistant tofading, or if the material would ideally maintain a particular shape, itwould be resistant to breaking. The material used can also bewaterproof, such as a plastic or plasticized fabric.

In one implementation, using physical, but non-biologically active,materials may minimize any impact to crops or wildlife if the materialsor parts thereof wash ashore.

6. Strength/Breaking

A system in accordance with the invention may also provide materials ofdifferent strength. For example, it may be preferable in an embodimentof the invention that a material be strong enough not to shatter in astorm. For some applications, strength and durability of a material maybe preferable to provide environmental effects for a sufficient lengthof time. Furthermore, strong, non-breaking materials may be able tominimize injuries that may occur if broken materials were to come toshore or be ingested. For example, if a material was made of glass orplastic, it could cause injury if it were to break in a jagged manner.In some implementations, materials with rounded edges or corners may beless likely to break. For fabrics, it may be preferable to have thematerials biodegrade over time, reducing initial costs and providing abuilt-in timed removal of the system.

For alternative applications, it may be preferable for a material tocome apart or break into smaller pieces after a length of time. This maybe a means of reversibility. For example, if a silica-based materialwere to start out as non-harmful sand-like pieces, or were to eventuallybreak apart in a non-harmful manner, it could be like or become likesand and have relatively little ecological impact.

One aspect of a material may be how it breaks. Some material propertiesmay be designed that if a fracture were to occur, it would occur in sucha manner as to provide a smooth or rounded edge, rather than a jagged,potentially harmful edge. Some materials may also be designed to crumblerather than fracture, so that the material could break into smallerpieces that may be more safely ingested or have lesser ecologicalimpact. The size of the particles that a material may crumble into maybe controlled.

7. Reversible Properties

One embodiment of the invention may be to include climate controlmaterials that may self reverse after a period of time. For example,rather than having to collect the materials, the materials may changelocal albedo or evaporation rate or be biodegradable after a period oftime. For example, the material may be designed so that the albedo andevaporative characteristics may reflect the characteristics of thesurrounding environment after a set amount of time, so that they mayexert a neutral environmental influence. Alternatively, the material maybe designed so that the albedo and evaporative characteristics have areversing effect, so that they may exert a reversing environmentalinfluence. One could deploy a material that reverses over time, throughfor instance biofouling or pore plugging or biodegradation, or thatremoves itself from the active area over time through for instancebiodegradation or sinking.

The materials could break after a thermal cycle such as freezing intoice, ensuring that they will sink after helping to form a season's-worthof ice. For instance, freezing materials may enter an opening in thematerial, and cause the material to crack. In another implementation,deliberately providing a very slow leakage pathway for liquids, such aswater, into a chamber that has initially provided buoyancy, such as thegas-filled core of a hollow sphere, can eventually make the materialsink, removing it from the surface ecosystem after a specified period oftime. In some embodiments, materials may self-remove from carbon uptake.A material may also break apart from wear. Breaking in certain modes maybe useful in rendering floating materials more likely to sink, as forinstance if a pathway to the buoyant, gas-filled chamber is breached asan outer layer of material is eroded or broken away, eventually makingthe material sink to remove it from the surface ecosystem after aspecified period of time. Furthermore, materials can also be enclosed ina container or bag designed to sink over a period of time and drag thematerials down.

B. Design

Systems of environmental modification with climate control materials andcoverings may include the design aspects of the climate controlmaterials. For example, the size, shape, design, interaction/connection,and arrangement of the climate control materials may be varied fordifferent environmental modifications.

1. Building Components

The climate control materials and covering may be made up of differentcomponents which may interact to form building blocks, which may bedeployed in a cluster arrangement.

a. Balls

In one embodiment of the invention, the components of the climatecontrol materials may be made of relatively small floatable objects. Thefloatable objects may have roughly spherical shapes. For example, thematerials can include hollow spheres of glass. Some of theiradvantageous characteristics may include their ability to float, theirwettability, the variety of sizes available, and the potential for awide range of albedo with the properly chosen color and opacity. Roundedshapes may be preferred for abrasion and strength concerns. Roundededges may minimize fracturing and breakage. When hollow spheres of glassmay wash ashore, if they are made predominantly of silica (one of themost abundant materials on earth), and may be hard enough and properlysized so as not to shatter on the beach, they may appear to wildlife andhumans and the ecosystem at large as a particularly rounded form ofsand, of a specific color, such as white, with no adverse ecologicalimpact foreseen.

The current invention may be designed to fit into an ecosystem, such asan ecosystem with sea ice, without undue impacts. For example, usingsmall floatable materials may allow marine creatures to surface as usualuntil the ice forms, and may be easily pushed aside with no harm to thecreatures or the system, and may not trap them as larger devices might.Such a deployment may also not interfere with ocean turnover, anessential feature in moving CO₂ from the atmosphere to the oceanicdepths, and hence an essential element in the planetary ecosystem'snatural carbon sequestration.

Small floatable materials may float in an area of ocean in order toenhance ice and/or snow retention and/or ice formation.

The size of the floatable objects can be chosen so as to minimize anyecological impacts on wildlife. For instance, the floatable materialsmay be of a sufficiently small size to pass through the digestive systemof a living creature without blockage. Such a beneficial size could beof sub-millimeter diameter, or hundreds of microns in diameter, or evenof sub-hundred micron in diameter. Other considerations of the impact ofsize on wildlife may be whether creatures eat it, breathe it, excreteit, and whether it collects on their fur/coverings. Smaller-sizedmaterials may have the economic advantage as well of being able to covera larger surface area with a layer of material while using less overallmaterial (since smaller materials may provide a thinner “monolayer”) andtherefore result in lower cost. The size of material may also beadjusted depending on optimal height of coverage—greater size may bepreferable when a greater height of coverage is desired.

The size of the floatable objects may also be chosen to optimize icenucleation. It could be particularly advantageous if the floatingmaterial does not interfere with ice nucleation either touching or nearthe floating material, or just outside the assemblage. Some types ofocean ice may nucleate in calm water with an initial disk-like shape,and diameter of 2-3 mm or less. Therefore, if the floatable climatecontrol material were of comparable size or were sized so that gapsbetween the floating materials were of about this size, ice formationmay be enhanced. Furthermore, the ice so formed around such objectscould have an especially low thermal conductivity and high albedo due toincorporation of the objects that can be used in this invention. Young,or thin, ice formed in the absence of the floatable objects may have arelatively low albedo, and increasing the albedo of ice so formed couldbe advantageous in further cooling the ocean areas within and nearby theactive ice formation locations.

Hollow ball fishing floats (often known as Japanese-style fishingfloats) may be used in an embodiment of the invention. This inventionmay use larger floatable objects that are too large to be ingested bymarine wildlife, and may minimizing any ecological impacts in this way.One example of a larger floatable object might be using the hollow ballfishing floats. Hollow ball fishing floats may persist in the oceans foryears, which may be a sign of their ruggedness. Another example may beusing plastic bottles.

In one embodiment of the invention, it may be preferable to use amixture of sphere sizes, which may allow for a greater fill factor(small spheres to fill in the interstices between the larger spheres),allowing for greater overall albedo of the treated area. It may alsopotentially lead to a greater evaporation rate of associated water, fromthe greater wettable surface area then available per area treated. Useof at least some small-size objects or spheres may also serve to enhanceevaporation overall, especially if a significant amount of evaporationoccurs on the surface of the objects with more efficient heat transferto the underlying water through and around the smaller objects.

One benefit of using relatively rounded climate control materials may betheir ability to roll. Climate control materials that can roll mayprovide aid for efficient heat transfer, as well as mass transferbringing additional water or fluid to the surface to aid in evaporation.Rolling may also contribute to self-rinsing and self-cleaning of thematerials.

Ball-like floatable materials may be used in conjunction with otherclimate control materials, such as plates or sheets. For example, ifeither plates or sheets have openings, rounded, cylindrical, fibrous, orother materials may be placed within those openings. Ball-like or othermaterials can be deployed by means to allow a manner of self-assembly,such as having been shipped in, deployed by a submarine, or dropped froman airplane or helicopter, either with or without other materials orcorralling mechanisms. Minimizing assembly time onsite may beadvantageous.

Relatively rounded climate control materials of various sizes may bescattered on ice or land surfaces as well to provide environmentalmodification effects.

b. Plates

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, floatable climate controlmaterials may be comprised of plates. The plates may be of differentsizes or shapes. For example, a plate may have a hexagonal shape. FIG. 5shows three views of a centrally supported hexagonal structure 52 withengineered porosity. Such a plate structure may have a central supportwith a hexagonal-like plate structure anchored to it in sections 51. Ahexagonal structure may allow for a hexagonally close packed arrangementof the plates. A plate structure, which may include entrapped air inpockets, pores 53, or supports, can be engineered to provide sufficientbuoyancy to act as a pullout to provide a temporary resting place formigrating wildlife, enhancing the survival of species such as polarbears, walruses, or any other species, under conditions of reduced iceas are found today.

The plates can be made of different materials. For example, plates maybe made of floatable materials such as plastic. If a denser plastic orother material is used, the plates may be combined with floatable orsupporting elements.

c. Sheets

The floatable climate control materials may be comprised of sheet-likestructures in one embodiment of the invention. The sheets may be ofdifferent shapes, and may include openings if desired. FIG. 6 shows asheet structure 62 that includes openings 63. Such openings may have anysize, shape, or arrangement. A benefit of a sheet-like structure is thatit may provide a thin layer of cover and therefore require less materialand cost, and may be easily deployable and reversible. It may also beeasy to manufacture sheet-like structures so that they have differentshapes. Circular or rounded edges and corners may be preferred toenhance lifetime of the materials, or stress concentrations may bedeliberately included to enhance eventual natural degradation orremoval. The sheets may be possessed of a selected albedo orreflectivity.

The sheets may be made of different materials. For example, sheet-likestructures may be made of a thin plastic. Alternatively, sheet-likematerials may be made of fabric, wood product, biological materials, andother materials.

In one embodiment of the invention, the sheet-like materials can be madeof fabric with engineered openings, or pores, which can be of differingdiameters and morphologies, and tailored wettability and contact angle.Fabrics may also include natural pores and spaces and networks of fibersfrom the interwoven nature of the material. The openings or pores mayalso be arranged in different manners. Such pores may affect the localevaporation rate and/or buoyancy.

Different types of materials for fabrics may be used. For instance, aGoreTex-like material could provide excellent vapor exchange, whilebeing possessed of at least some non-wettability in its formulation. Ora marine-compatible fabric treated for longevity in a marine environmentmay be used. Additionally, reflective materials such as those used inthermal survival blankets or reflective microspheres may be added to thefabrics. Alternatively, a more wettable material could be used.

The sheet-like structures themselves may have various shapes andconfigurations. For instance, the sheets may have a geometric shape,such as squares, hexagons, or circles, or have any sort of irregularshape.

The sheet-like structures, which may include fabrics, can containbuoyancy features. Such buoyancy features may include built-in buoyancyfeatures or external buoyancy features or physical supports. Examples ofbuoyancy features may include a floatable material or entrained airpockets within a structure.

For example, FIG. 7A illustrates how buoyancy features 71A may be addedat the ends of a sheet-like structure 72 to suspend the structurebetween them. The buoyancy features may be attached to the sheet-likestructures in multiple ways, which may vary the suspension height of thesheet-like features. FIG. 7B shows how the buoyancy features 71B may bearranged in multiple ways which may vary the amount of sag on thesheet-like structures. Suspension height and sag may affect the watersurface area available for evaporation through details of the air/waterinterfaces at the surface and in the pores or pore-like features oropenings 73 of the sheet-like structures.

The sheets may contain intentional openings large enough for marine andpolar life-forms to climb or dive through, or they may be configured ordeployed over small areas with larger open areas that can be set by useof other containment, tethering, or isolation features. The largeopening areas and the periphery of the sheets can have contiguous areasthat are buoyant enough to allow for wildlife pullouts for resting orbreeding of creatures such as polar bears and walruses. The especiallybuoyant areas can be connected by other areas that are buoyant or stiffin order to set the spacing between the especially buoyant areas, and topossibly give walkable wildlife pathways between sections. The largeopening areas may also serve as areas of enhanced ice formation and heattransfer, similar to polynyas (open areas of water surrounded by ice)and leads.

The underside of the floating elements or the periphery of the fabricsheets can contain features and openings to encourage the release of icecrystallites and young ice, in order to help maximize ice formationoverall.

In one embodiment of the invention, ball-like floating objects may beused in conjunction with sheet-like structures. For example, floatablematerials may be placed in the openings of the sheets. Doing so mayprovide the same benefits of using the sheet-like structures, but mayalso cut costs if the floatable materials are less costly than thesheet-like structures. In another embodiment, ball-like floating objectsmay be enclosed in sheet-like or mesh-like structures. For instance, theobjects may be partially or fully enclosed in bags or other containersmade from a fabric-like or mesh material.

FIG. 7C illustrates how buoyancy features 71C may be distributed withina sheet-like structure to distribute suspension of the fabric andprovide multiple layers for albedo modification and evaporative surface.For instance, buoyant materials may be provided within a surrounding bag75.

FIG. 7D illustrates how air 76 entrained within natural or syntheticmaterials in a sheet-like structure may be used for distributedsuspension.

FIG. 7E illustrates how a surface coating of at least one material 78within a sheet-like structure 72E may be used to aid in distributedsuspension and/or evaporative transfer. Air trapped with the aid of asurface layer may aid in distributed suspension.

The sheets may be fabricated with varying opening sizes together or invarying sections. Smaller opening sizes may serve as areas that can haveincreased evaporative surface area and may be prone to freeze up beforethe larger opening sizes, as shown in FIG. 8. Openings 83 in the fabric82 could allow for ocean turnover.

FIG. 9A shows a sheet style implementation in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention. A sheet-like structure 92A may include abuoyant support 91A at the edges or interior, that may act as supportand temporary habitat rebuild. Underneath, there may be a provision forformed ice crystallites to float free, which may enhance new iceformation. Opening sizes, shapes, and location may vary. In oneembodiment of the invention, one or more large interior holes 93A may bedisposed between buoyant supports, and may provide marine life accessand polynya-like heat transfer. Smaller pores may be closer to thebuoyant supports and may provide enhanced surface area and evaporativetransfer. Pores may have staggered sizes.

FIG. 9B shows an alternate embodiment of a sheet style implementation.Buoyant supports 91B may surround the sheet-like structures 92B. Buoyantfeatures may also be at the interiors of a sheet-like structure invarious configurations. The sheet-like structure may also provideopenings 93B of various sizes, shapes, and location.

The wettability of the openings, the fabric thickness, and the height ofthe openings above the waterline may have an effect on the apparentsurface area available for evaporation. To remove or reverse the actionof the material over time, it could be made of biodegradable elements(for removal) or elements prone to biofouling (for reversal).

In one embodiment of the invention, sheets or fabrics may be placed onglaciers to provide environmental modification. For fabrics to be usedon glaciers, they may be wetted on surfaces or within pores to provideand enhance an evaporative cooling effect.

d. Cooling Fins

In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention, the climatecontrol materials may have cooling fins. Such cooling fins may be formedof any protrusion or sculpted feature that may stand out from a surface.For example, cooling fins may be an elongated shape that may stand out,be orthogonal to, or substantially perpendicular to the surface of aclimate control material. In other examples, the cooling fins may benubs, bumps, or waves on a surface, or any surface features that mayincrease surface area and may provide greater area for evaporation andheat transfer.

The cooling fins can be combined with any of the embodiments of theinvention described herein. For example, cooling fins may be applied toplate structures, or on sheet-like structures.

e. Oils/Fluids

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, floatable climatecontrol materials may be comprised of oil or other fluid coatings. Fluidcoatings may be formed of materials that would minimize harmfulecological impact while providing high albedo and evaporation rates, orespecially low evaporation rates and high albedo for storm controlapplications. High albedo from fluid coatings may reduce the overheatingof the ocean or body of water, even when evaporation is suppressed. Insome embodiments, choosing a proper thickness of fluid coating mayenable good reflectivity from the resulting optical properties of theocean/fluid/air interfaces.

Some possible examples of fluid materials may include crude oil,vegetable oil, or mineral oil.

The benefit of using fluid materials is that they may affect albedo oroverall reflectivity and be good for applications that require a lowenvironmental evaporation rate. Alternatively, a fluid with a highevaporation rate may be used, which may cool the local area. A fluidclimate control material may provide a thin layer, which could minimizecosts. Fluids may also be easily poured out, which may make deploymentsimple. Fluids may also be surrounded by devices such as oil containmentbooms to localize them to occupy only the specified areas. Fluidcoatings may be formed of materials that could minimize harmfulecological impact. Fluids could be used in combination with othermaterials, such as floating balls of various compositions

2. Building Blocks

In one embodiment of the invention, the components of the climatecontrol materials may be relatively small floatable materials, such asmaterials in roughly spherical shapes, bottles, roughly cylindricalfibers, or any other floatable materials that may be relatively loose.Such floatable materials may be arranged in such a way so that they forma unit, which may be a building block of an environmental modificationsystem.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, FIG. 10 illustratesbringing the climate control materials 102 into a unit by using somesort of corral 107. In one example, a corral may completely surround theclimate control materials. For example, an oil containment boom mayserve as a corral. The invention may provide for a building block madeup of a unit comprising the corral and the floatable climate controlmaterials enclosed within.

A corral may include submerged and/or above-water netting that couldcatch climate control materials even during severe storms, whileallowing ice crystals to pass through and be blown out of the corral.FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of the invention where a corral mayinclude the netting feature 118 with an escape path for ice crystals.The netting could be arranged so that they would capture any climatecontrol materials 112 while allowing or encouraging ice crystals to beblown out of the area. In one implementation, the netting may alsoinclude a fabric-like material. In one embodiment, fabric-like materialmay have openings to allow ice crystals out while retaining climatecontrol materials. In another embodiment, the corrals may include morethan one layer of netting or fabric or other materials. The multiplelayers may have different opening features which may encourage retentionof climate control materials while allowing other objects to passthrough. For instance, a corral may be a fabric or mesh bag that maycontain the climate control materials. A corral may contain ameasurement system that can include sensors, powering, andcommunications.

FIG. 12 shows another possible corralling arrangement for climatecontrol materials. In this example, the corral 127 may only partiallysurround the materials 122, rather than surrounding them completely. Theinvention may provide for a building block made up of a unit comprisingthe corral and the accompanying floatable climate control materials.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the components of climatecontrol materials may be plates of varying shapes or sizes. It can bedeployed in a shape to allow a manner of self-assembly after having beendeployed in some manner, such as having been shipped in, deployed by asubmarine, or dropped from an airplane or helicopter. Minimizingassembly time onsite may be advantageous. In order to do so, such platesmay have various interconnecting means. One example of aninterconnecting means are lock-and-groove features on the sides of theplates. Another example of interconnecting means may include asnap-together assembly. Such interlocking features may be reversible aswell in case the system overcorrects and it is necessary to remove it.

Another means of plate interconnectedness may include hinging platestogether, so that they may form a smaller shape that can be unfoldedupon deployment into a bigger shape. For example, FIG. 13A illustrates arectangular plate unit 130 with hinges 131 in its folded up state. Sucha structure may be more compact and easier to deploy. FIG. 13B shows therectangular plate unit 130 after it has been unfolded. Using anunfolding technique may also minimize on-site assembly time andcomplexity.

FIG. 14A, 14B shows an example of plates being used as buildingcomponents that have been interlocked to form building blocks. Thefigures show a top view of the plates 142A, 142B that have beeninterlocked. In these examples, the shapes of the components may be suchthat they can interlock to form a continuous plate 140A, 140B. FIG. 14Cshows an example of plates 142C interlocking but not to form onecontinuous plate. In some applications, it may be advantageous to allowinterlocking plates but leave gaps 143. Interlocking plates may havedifferent shapes. Using a combination of shapes that may interlock mayenable flexibility in determining what shapes to make the buildingblocks.

In an embodiment of the invention, the climate control components mayconsist of sheet-like structures. Sheets may have interconnecting means,and may also be foldable, like the plate structures. The interconnectingmeans of the sheets may or may not be the same type of mechanisms of theplates. For example, sheets may have buoyancy features at their edges,which may provide support and interconnecting means. For example,buoyancy features at the edge of sheets may have similar assemblies toplate-like climate control materials, such as lock-and-groove assembliesand snap-together assemblies.

The components of climate control materials may include fluid materialsin accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Fluid climatecontrol materials may be enclosed in a corral, such as previouslydiscussed for relatively small floatable materials.

3. Building Cluster Containers

In one embodiment of the invention, the components of the climatecontrol materials may be pre-clustered so that they form a unit. Suchunits may be arranged or distributed in different manners to form acluster.

FIG. 15 shows one example of a building cluster for floatable climatecontrol materials. Climate control materials 152 may be corralled intounits 151 which may be clustered in a roughly hexagonal close packedarrangement. There may also be some open areas or spaces 153 definedbetween the clusters which may allow the effects of the deployment to beenhanced through coverage of a larger area. The hexagonal close packedarray can, within the scope of the invention, be further extended out toinclude more elements. In one implementation, the corralled structuresmight include means for connecting the corrals in a desirable fashion.

For example, the corralled structures 161 may be connected to oneanother by connecting buoyant portions 163 of the corrals to oneanother, as shown in FIG. 16A. In one implementation, the corrals may beconnected by some interconnecting means, similar to interconnectingmeans discussed previously, such as the lock-and-groove assemblies,snap-together assemblies, or other assemblies, such as tying the corralstogether. In another example, the corralled structures may be connectedto one another through other mechanisms which may be looser, such aslines 165 or chains or other flexible means, as shown in FIG. 16B.

As in several of the embodiments described above, a corral orcontainment boom can be used to constrain the elements of the systembefore, as or after they self-assemble or otherwise move into position.Corrals may use submerged and/or above-water netting, as discussedpreviously.

Corrals can be devised with control means which can serve to keep thematerials, devices and system removed from shipping lanes and the like.

Embodiments of materials, designs, and other systems for environmentalclimate control materials may be deployed or used in methods describedin U.S. Application No. 61/044,453, filed on Apr. 11, 2008, which ishereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

C. Materials Production

In one embodiment of the invention, the climate control materials mayinclude plates or sheet-like structures. One method of producing suchmaterials may involve starting from smaller material components, such asbeads, and heating them so that they may fuse together. In someimplementations, the smaller components may be of low meltingtemperatures, such as low-melting temperature glass or beads. Thesmaller components may or may not have different material properties,and may be fused into a flat sheet or plate with a desired pattern.

Materials can be by-products of other operations, such as cenosphereswhich are a byproduct from coal-fired plants, and can be prepared to beused in the present invention by means such as sieving to get a desiredparticle size, washing, and surface preparations. These and othersuitable materials can be prepared as desired, with or without surfacetreatments, and assembled into aggregates or deployed as-is, bydropping, folding, unrolling, and the like.

D. Sensors

1. Sensor Systems

Another embodiment of the invention may include sensors that may monitorthe invention and the effects of the invention. Communication andpowering for such sensors that may be advantageously incorporated inthis invention may include communication means for remote monitoring,data logging for eventual on-site data collection and aggregation, andremote or local powering (solar, batteries, or wireless powering) of thesensors and communication means.

This can be accomplished in several ways, including placing sensors nearthe deployment of climate control materials. For example, sensors andcommunication and powering equipment may be placed on or within a corralsuch as a containment boom such as used for containing oil spills thatmay be used to surround floating climate control materials, as shown inFIG. 10. Additionally, such equipment could be placed on or within abuoy deployed in or near the area of floating materials. Some or all ofthe sensor, communication and powering equipment may also be placed onor within a suspension element deployed in or near the area of materialsused to adjust local albedo and/or evaporation rate. Alternatively, someor all of the sensors, communications and powering equipment may beplaced in or on the materials themselves.

In addition to being incorporated into buoys, anchor points, containmentbooms and the like, the sensors, communications systems, and poweringmay also be placed at nearby shores, and similar locations. They can bepowered in a variety of ways, such as being solar powered, or beingpowered by batteries or remote wireless communication. The sensors canalso be interrogated and surveyed remotely, such as via satellite orsubmarine, and/or can upload data periodically to a data logger to bepicked up or interrogated at a later point (for instance, when theweather permits access to the system location). Small sensors such asso-called smartdust sensors with self-configuring wirelesscommunications networks may be advantageously employed in thisinvention.

In one embodiment of the invention, the optical properties of climatecontrol materials may also be chosen or treated in order to provide easeof detection from satellites or other remote sensing devices. Adjustingoptical properties such as surface, color, translucency, or reflectivitymay aid in sensing applications, which may provide information andenable control of the materials if necessary. Adjusting opticalproperties of materials may not only apply to optical sensing devices,but may have effects which can be read by other devices. For example,climate control materials with certain optical properties may also havea unique heat signature which may be read by a thermal sensing device.

As mentioned previously, signatures may be provided on the climatecontrol materials themselves, in the event that they may break free andmay continue to be monitored. For example, radio frequencyidentification (RFID) may be used on the materials. The materials mayhave RFID tags incorporated, which may be read remotely. In anotherexample, the materials may use so-called smartdust type sensors, whichmay include tiny MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors ormicromachined or microfabricated sensors with wireless communications.

2. Sensor Types

There may be many types of sensors that can monitor climate controlmaterials and their effects. Some sensor types that are advantageouslyincorporated in this invention include a GPS and identifying informationto locate and monitor the location and effects of the implementation.

Above the ice, there may be sensors that can monitor information such ashumidity, temperature, albedo, evaporation rate, and freezing rate. Theabove-ice sensors may use a satellite tracking signature.

Sensors may also be dispatched within the ice, which may measurephysical features of the ice, such as ice morphology, thickness, albedo,and snow cover. Sensors may also measure properties of the ice such assalinity, channel morphology, porosity, thermal conductivity, stress,strain, and strength.

Sensors may be deployed below the ice to measure environmentalinformation such as salinity, temperature, freezing depth, andcirculation patterns. Sensors below the ice may determine effects on theecosystem, and may try to determine solar absorption at the below-icesurface and at various depths beneath the surface.

Sensors may not be necessary for deployment with the climate controlmaterials in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Forinstance, sensors may not be necessary for wider implementations afteran implementation strategy has been chosen from evaluating data from theinitial experimentation and implementation.

3. Controls

In some embodiments of the invention, the sensors may include a controlcapability, which may affect the climate control materials. This abilityto provide feedback may enable applications such as sensing when it maybe advantageous to move climate control materials and act accordingly.This may also include the ability to monitor and change albedo orevaporation rates of local areas associated with the materials.

E. Environmental Modification and Other Applications

The materials, designs, apparatuses, and arrangements described hereinmay be used with any methods for environmental climate controlmodification, as described in PCT application Ser. No. PCT/US08/11690,entitled “Methods for Environmental Modification with Climate ControlMaterials and Coverings” by Leslie A. Field, filed Oct. 9, 2008, whichis hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The ability for local environmental climate control may be useful inscenarios relating to global warming, and even in situations whereanother means of control for global warming have been instituted or inthe absence of global warming. Possessing the capability to tailorclimate locally and globally using the techniques of the currentinvention may have advantageous applications.

In one application of the invention, the systems may be used to rebuildpolar ice. In such an application, it may be preferable for climatecontrol materials and coverings to have high albedo and increase localevaporation rates, as discussed previously. Other material propertiesand designs may be optimized for polar ice rebuild.

In another application of the invention, the systems may be used as aninterim habitat for various species in itself, and optionally while thepolar ice rebuilds. One example of this may include the pullout forpolar bears, walruses, or other species, as mentioned previously. Inaddition to having high albedo and increasing local evaporation rates,the climate control materials used in these applications may have a highbuoyancy. If the systems are being used as an interim habitat, it maynot be necessary to use the invention to rebuild ice.

The systems may be used for glacier retention or rebuilding inaccordance with another application of the invention. Climate controlmaterials may be scattered on glacier surfaces or otherwise distributedon or nearby the glacier surfaces or open water. Such materials may havea high albedo and increase local evaporation rates. Similarly, thesystems can be used for snow retention and building in sensitive climateand recreational areas.

Another environmental modification application may include cropenvironmental modification. Climate control materials may be used fortemperature and moisture control. The albedo of the materials may affecthow much sunlight is reflected, which may affect local temperature.Furthermore, the evaporation rate can be adjusted as desired.

In another application, by properly controlling the rate of evaporationover bodies of water, the invention can be used at the proper time ofthe year to diminish the intensity of tropical storms, and removedfollowing the storm season to allow normal evaporation levels. In thisapplication, a device, system or method may be used to adjust the albedoof areas in order to decrease evaporation to decrease rainfall and/orstorm severity. In addition, the invention may be used for adjustment ofthe relative humidity of areas surrounding the adjusted areas in orderto decrease evaporation to decrease rainfall and/or storm severity.Aspects of the invention may be adjusted as discussed previously, withcharacteristics tailored to reduce evaporation.

One preferable embodiment of the invention that may be applied to thestorm control aspect of the invention may be to use a monolayer coatingof a liquid (akin to “pouring oil on troubled waters”) that may reducethe evaporation rate of the water in the storm path. The effect of thefluid coating may be temporary, and it may be removed, either bydispersal, by biodegradation, or by being consumed by wildlife or otherenvironmental actions or agents. Such a fluid coating may be chosen tohave a small or zero ecological impact, and may advantageously includematerials such as mineral oils or vegetable oils (including corn oil,given current high production levels of corn).

A plastic sheet, preferably without pores, or rafts of plastic bottlesas described previously, but chosen or treated so as to be largelyunwettable may also be advantageous embodiments of this invention for astorm control application.

This invention may be applied to rainfall pattern modification as well.By properly controlling the rate of evaporation over bodies of water,the invention can be used to enhance evaporation to increase rainfalland/or alleviate conditions of drought. In this application of theinvention, a climate control material may adjust the albedo or relativehumidity of areas in order to enhance evaporation to increase rainfalland/or alleviate drought. The system may be removable when no longerneeded, to allow the area to return to its normal weather pattern.

This invention may also be used in applications requiring increasedefficiency of cooling, such as for industrial applications such as powerplants and large data centers, especially in regions where excess heathas an adverse environmental impact.

Furthermore, this invention can be used to stabilize permafrost, with apossible side benefit of preventing release of methane (a powerfulgreenhouse gas) and a benefit of stabilizing infrastructure used forhousing, roads, pipelines, utilities and the like.

The techniques of this invention can be further used to contributeenvironmental control to man-made structures and buildings, introducinga cooling element to such facilities.

It should be understood from the foregoing that, while particularimplementations have been illustrated and described, variousmodifications can be made thereto and are contemplated herein. It isalso not intended that the invention be limited by the specific examplesprovided within the specification. While the invention has beendescribed with reference to the aforementioned specification, thedescriptions and illustrations of the preferable embodiments herein arenot meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Furthermore, it shall beunderstood that all aspects of the invention are not limited to thespecific depictions, configurations or relative proportions set forthherein which depend upon a variety of conditions and variables. Variousmodifications in form and detail of the embodiments of the inventionwill be apparent to a person skilled in the art. It is thereforecontemplated that the invention shall also cover any such modifications,variations and equivalents.

1. A method for cooling the temperature of a body of water having a topsurface exposed to sunlight, the method comprising: distributing ballssuch that they lie on, and in direct contact with, at least part of thetop surface, the at least part of the top surface characterized prior tothe distribution by a pre-distribution surface area; wherein the ballshave diameters within a range of 100 microns to 3 mm, and albedos withina range of 0.15 to 1.0; and wherein the surfaces of the balls arehydrophilic, such that after the distribution a total wetted surfacearea greater than the pre-distribution surface area of the water isprovided, facilitating the cooling.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein thebody of water is a natural or unnatural lake or bay.
 3. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the albedos of the balls are within a range of 0.35-1.0.4. The method of claim 3 wherein the albedos of the balls are within arange of 0.5-1.0.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the albedos of theballs are within a range of 0.7-1.0.
 6. The method of claim 1 whereinthe pores have diameters less than 100 microns.
 7. The method of claim 1wherein the diameters of the balls are within a range of 0.015-1 mm. 8.The method of claim 1 wherein the diameters of the balls are within arange of 0.1-1 mm.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the balls comprise amixture of differently-sized balls.
 10. The method of claim 1additionally comprising a corralling structure configured to contain theballs following deployment over the water surface.
 11. The method ofclaim 1 additionally comprising a sensor configured to monitor an effectof the balls on the environment after distribution.
 12. The method ofclaim 1 additionally comprising at least one of communication andpowering equipment.
 13. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising aposition-monitoring sensor.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the ballsthe are self-removing from carbon uptake, cracking induced by freezing,wear, and/or from an enclosure sinking and dragging down the balls. 15.The method of claim 1 wherein the glass galls comprise recycled glassand air-entrapping pores.
 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the glassballs are hollow glass microspheres.